


Betrayal

by Dolimir



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 14:06:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9610742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolimir/pseuds/Dolimir
Summary: The utterance of the betrayal was so casual, Clint’s wasn’t even sure Tony was aware of what he’d done.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching _Captain America: Civil War_ the other day when it dawned on me that Tony had given away the fact that Clint had a family...something the government didn't know. 
> 
> So, of course, I had to explore it further.
> 
> *-*-*-*-*

“You’re all grown up. You got a wife and kids. I don’t understand. Why didn’t you think about them before you chose the wrong side?”

If the glass hadn’t been between them, Clint would have killed Tony between one breath and the next. Despite his being an Avenger, despite his being a friend. 

The utterance of the betrayal was so casual, Clint’s wasn’t even sure Tony was aware of what he’d done. 

Probably not. 

Mr. No Filter. 

Lashing out, because despite his words he felt a certain degree of guilt and didn’t know how to appropriately channel his feelings. 

“You better watch your back on this guy. Chances are he's going to break it.” In one smooth motion, Clint kicked the glass wall, making sure his big toe was in the lead. 

Tony’s eyes widened in surprise as he jerked backward, moving awkwardly toward the next cell. 

Gritting his teeth, Clint slide into a sitting position beside his bed. He took a shallow breath and bit his tongue so hard his eyes teared. Which was okay. Let those watching think his exchange Tony had gotten to him. 

The electric pulse surged through his body, leaving his limbs tingling painfully, but he remained still, refusing to react in any manner. 

“The law. The law,” he mumbled. 

Please have escaped, he thought to himself. Please be free. 

He knew Ross was looking for Natasha, but the mere fact that she wasn’t in the cell beside him gave Clint hope. No doubt she had run to ground. But as soon as she got the signal, he knew she’d go for Laura and the kids, knowing that Laura would be prepped and ready to go. 

There was always a chance no one had picked up on what Tony said, although he knew he couldn’t take that gamble. Even if the soldiers who were stationed on the underwater gulag had registered what Tony had revealed, they probably wouldn’t think anything about it. 

But Ross. Ross would have been listening. He might not pick up on it right away, but he would eventually. Clint knew the Secretary of State would be securitizing the tapes of Tony talking to them over and over again. 

Clint knew no one would ask him any questions until after Tony left, which meant he probably had an hour. If he was lucky, he might even have a few weeks. 

Despite having a dog named Lucky, luck had never really been on Clint’s side. Clint was more of a ‘make your own luck’ sort of guy. He couldn’t count on having anything except a few hours. 

He and Laura had planned for this contingency; had known their secret might eventually be discovered. They had plans and backup plans and contingency plans to their backup plans. Laura wouldn’t be happy about having to uproot the family, but he knew she was already in motion. 

There was about a twelve percent chance that the techs onboard might have picked up the signal. Even if they did, the chances of them identifying it or locating the source was next to nil. 

After all, they hadn’t found either beacon, the one in his toe or the one planted in his tongue. They were used to normal prisoners, not enhanced beings or agents who used to be super spies. There was no doubt they were strong and smart, but even if they could think outside the box they wouldn’t have been expecting the signal, especially with the dampening field around the prison. 

And while Tony always had a beef with Dr. Strange, Clint knew the magician would have ways around governmental technology. The price had been a favor, not yet called. But once it was, Clint would gladly pay it. 

He also knew his uniform was picking up his spiked heartbeat, but hoped his keepers would still attribute it to his talk with Stark. 

Damn Tony anyway. 

Clint had put a ton of man-hours into that house. He loved that house. It was the only home his boys had ever known. 

Closing his eyes, he prayed. Prayed no one would put two and two together within the next few hours. And if they somehow had, that Stark would wise up and put his ego aside long enough to keep his mouth shut if questioned. 

If they had to come to Clint for answers, they’d have to pull out the drugs to get him to talk. But Clint knew that was never the government’s first line of strategy. So Laura had a minimum of a day, hopefully longer. If the universe was smiling on him, he could give her a week. And Nat could have them safely ensconced anywhere on the planet within a week, despite her fugitive status. 

Please, Nat, he prayed. Please get to them first.


End file.
